Sympathy for the Devil
by Smiele
Summary: Sofia Roselle is back in the sequel to "How Do You Talk To An Angel?" A year after her seemingly fatal fall into Gotham Bay, she breaks the Joker out of Arkham Asylum. But the crime scene in Gotham has expanded since they've been gone, and there are new players on the board- including Sofia. JokerxOC [ON HIATUS]
1. Return of the Fallen

**A/N: Smiele: Hello, and welcome to "Sympathy for the Devil"! This is the sequel for "How Do You Talk To An Angel?", and I strongly suggest reading that first to understand what's going on. But if you don't want to, then don't. I won't tell you how to live your life.**

**Joker: Really? There's a first.**

**Smiele: J's gonna help me out with the A/N's, so if that's gonna annoy you, sorry, but it ain't changing. I've tried to get him to go away, but he just won't leave.**

**Joker: If I were you Smiley, I'd watch my tongue before it gets, uh, cut off.**

**Smiele: Geez, you think the Joker would be able to take a joke. Anywho, the story is set a few minutes after they break out of Arkham, which is a year after Sofia fakes her death (spoilers if you haven't read the other story. Sorta). Also I've lost track of the timeline so let's just say this takes place at the beginning of March. Without further ado, the sequel!**

* * *

_Hey young blood_

_Doesn't it feel like our time is running out?_

_I'm gonna change you like a remix_

_Then I'll raise you like a phoenix_

_You're wearing our vintage misery_

_No, I think it looked a little better on me_

_I'm gonna change you like a remix_

_Then I'll raise you like a phoenix_

_Put on your war paint_

The Phoenix, _Fall Out Boy_

* * *

Cacophonous laughter bounced off of the walls as the pair rushed towards the hospital exit. It was the middle of the night, and most of the employees had gone home. That only left the issue of the security guards.

Of course, there weren't as many at night as there were during the day. The Joker found that a bit ironic considering that most breakouts happened in the later hours, but seeing as that occurrence was working in his favor, he wasn't one to complain.

Oddly enough though, he hadn't seen any guards in the hallways. As they passed the security office, he noticed that the door was open. He stopped to go inside, maybe to let out some inmates, maybe to make a speech to them, maybe to find out where all the guards were (even _he_ wasn't sure of what he was going to do) but Sofia tugged his hand.

"We have to keep moving, they'll be up soon."

"They'll, uh, _be up_? Rosie-girl, I know that looks can be… deceiving, but I find it a _bit_ hard to believe that a five foot tall girl knocked out multiple security guards."

"Hey, I'm 5'5"!" She exclaimed. He rolled his eyes. "Although I may have had a teensy little bit of help."

"Oh, _really_? Who from? Hired some rent-a-clowns? I heard there's a discounted price ever since I got thrown in the nut house. And now that I think about it, why would they _believe_ that you were a, uh, stripper?" She tugged his arm again.

"I'll explain everything later, we have to keep moving!" She made a move to run away but he yanked her back into his arms, towering over her. He grabbed both her wrists and stared intensely at her.

"Answers _now_. Don't make me lose my temper." He sing-songed at her. She merely rolled her eyes, knowing (or at least hoping) that he wouldn't make good on any threat. She glanced down at her wrists and lifted her eyebrows, and he released her. He expected her to stall or attempt to drag him away, but what she did next shocked him.

Throwing her arms around his neck, she dragged his head down to meet her lips and she passionately kissed him. He was startled at first, and then he matched her intensity. Never able to relinquish dominance, he pushed her up against the wall, supporting her under her legs, which were wrapped around his waist. She tangled her fingers into his hair and tugged slightly, causing him to moan in pleasure.

But the kiss couldn't last long; they were, after all, escaping from an asylum. She leaned her forehead against his, breathing heavily.

"You have _no clue _how long I've waited to do that." She murmured, to which he chuckled.

"Ya know, I think I've got a general idea," He grinned, pulling back to look at her. "It's kinda funny…" he said. "How a few months seem like a few decades."

Tears were now running down her face as she gave him a small smile.

"C'mon, beautiful. Why so serious?" He let her feet drop to the floor and lifted his hand to wipe them away.

"It's a good thing I don't have my gloves on; what water does to leather is just… a _crime_." He joked around, and her smile grew as she rolled her eyes.

"Speaking of which, I have your clothes in the car."

"Why Miss Roselle! What _ever_ will the neighbors think?"

"Oh shut up. Come on let's go!"

And with that, the pair ran down the hallways of Arkham, and out into the night air. Sirens squealed behind them as two woozy guards stumbled out the door, yelling at them to stop; but it was too late.

The Joker and Sofia had jumped in the car and pealed away before the security guards could make it to the parking lot. The officials, gaining back their motor skills, ran inside to phone the GCPD and explain that the Joker had (once again) escaped.

Not one person saw a green clad woman sneak out of the asylum. The next day though, multiple security guards would be found dead, with a lipstick kiss still on their lips.

* * *

Once they were about a mile away from Arkham, the Joker told her to drive normally (she'd been going about 30 mph over the speed limit).

"What for?"

"Well unless you want the cops to catch on that this is the getaway car…"

"Gotcha. Slow driving it is, then."

"Where, on this, ah, _fine evening_, are we headed?"

"Somewhere they won't find us."

"_And_ in the _less_ cryptic answer…"

She smirked at him.

"It's a _surprise_." She taunted playfully.

"Alrigh-_t_, but I want some _answers_, Rosie-girl."

"Stop talking in your Joker voice and you'll get some."

"I'll get some? And here I was thinking you wanted to wait until marriage.

Very forward of you, don't ya think?"

"Oh shut up," She spoke lightly, hoping he couldn't see the blush tinting her cheeks in the dark. Attempting to change the subject, she asked, "What questions do you have?"

"Well, you've already said you're keeping where we're going a secret-"

"-surprise-"

"- so who helped you out?"

She licked her lips nervously. "That's a bit of a secret." He groaned at the response.

"Alright, how did you manage to get the guards out of the way?"

"Also a secret."

"Can you at least tell me why they thought you were a stripper? Or why they'd even let in a stripper?"

"See answer to questions 1 and 2."

He turned on the light in the car and gave her a solemn look. "In order for a relationship to flourish, there must be a strong base full of trust."

She snorted at the sentence and his face. "You didn't even tell me your true identity! I had to figure it out by myself!"

"Well at least the way you found out was enjoyable!"

"Yeah it was real enjoyable, finding out my best friend kidnapped me and is a psychopathic serial killer who has a fetish for dressing up as a clown and fighting a guy who dresses up as a bat." She replied sarcastically.

"Well I was actually referencing the kisses, but hey, same difference. Now _tell me_." His voice raised a few pitches on the last two words, but she ignored it, sighing in response.

"I would if I could, but I made a promise."

"To whom?"

"I can't tell you!"

"Why not?" He was getting mad at this point. "Because you're more loyal to that person than to your best friend, hm? More loyal to that bozo than to the guy you _love_?"

She groaned in exasperation. "It's not _like _that!"

"Oh _sure_ it's not. Ya know, _dearest_, you seem like a bit of a _hypocrite_ to me." He growled.

"Oh really?" she asked indignantly as she pulled the car to the side of the road. "How so, _darling_?"

"You get mad at me for lying about my identity, but the fact of the matter I you're keeping more secrets from me than I do from you! You won't tell me who helped you or how you got the guards out of the way or why they let a girl they thought was a stripper into an asylum or even where we're going! Oh right, it's a _surprise_."

He snarled, his voice dripping with venom. She opened her mouth to talk but he cut her off.

"And worst of all, you faked your death! You got shot and fell out of a window and leave me to rot in here for a year, thinking you were dead the whole time! Do you have any idea what that did to me? Because it _shredded_ me inside! You were dead, and it was my fault, and I had to live a _year_ knowing that!"

He got out of the car and began to pace. She followed suit in stunned silence, searching for words to comfort him, but none came to mind.

"I didn't think it would affect you like that."

"Apparently not. Just forget it."

"Jack, I-"

"Forget. It."

His back was turned to her and her heart shattered. Tears were running down her face, though not of the same variety as before.

"I'm _so so _sorry, Jack. I am. The last thing I want to do is hurt you-"

"Must be a short list of things you want to do then."

She fell silent and slowly made her way over to him. He didn't move as she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her lips against his shoulder blade.

Gradually, he turned around and she could for the first time see exactly what Arkham had done to him. Although his makeup was still on (she wasn't sure why they let him wear it), the bags under his eyes were clear. He had a general slouch to his stance and looked like he'd been to Hell and back.

She placed her hands on his face. "Please forgive me. _ Please_. I love you _so much_, Jack, _please_!" She begged him in between sobs and he sighed.

"Don't you know that crying is blackmail?" he asked with a slight smile. He picked her up into his arms and kissed her, chuckling into her lips at the squeaking sound she made.

"Alright, let's go back to that secret base of yours or whatever." He said, grabbing her hand and leading her back to the car. She grinned at him and ran around to the other side of the car.

As they got in, she tried to talk up the place. "You're gonna love it, the place is a real _circus_!"

* * *

**A/N: Smiele: So not much action in this chapter, aside from the beginning. But of course next chapter we'll talk about the "Mysterious Green Woman" (I'm sure most of you can guess who she is).**

**Joker: And maybe we'll blow up a few buildings, just for good measure.**

**Smiele: Until next time, my dear readers. Please review and send ideas for lyrics at the beginning! And also if there's anything you'd like to see in the story, send those ideas to me too!**


	2. The Ring Leader

**A/N: Smiele: Sorry this took so long to get out! But you know what they say; you can't rush perfection!**

**Joker: Or you can procrastinate like Smiley did and use an old idiom to try and cover it up.**

**S: Shut up.**

**J: Just trying to be of assistance, dearest.**

**S: Before I murder him, here's the chapter!**

* * *

_Just wanna spend the rest of my life with you__  
__Be your Bonnie, be my Clyde__  
__Make these cowards run and hide__  
__And I just wanna spend the rest of my life with you_

_Bonnie and Clyde,_ Haystak

* * *

"See I thought the, uh, 'it's a circus' phrase was just a metaphor, but…I was apparently wrong."

The giant red and white tent was huge, with bleachers circling the main area and trapeze overhead.

"Isn't it great?!" Sofia yelled out, hidden from view. Seemingly out of nowhere, she appeared next to him. "The old Haly circus. It used to be a big hit here, but then some of the trapeze artists died, "The Flying Graysons" I think they were called, and it shut down. Thought it'd suit you." She explained, patting his grease-painted face.

"Ya know, Rosie-girl, I'd thought you were past your cliché phase." He sighed playfully.

"Not quite." She murmured in response, fiddling with a small metal remote. She shouted joyfully when she found the correct button and the circus lit up. Smiling she looked over to her companion, who raised his eyebrows at the brightness of the room.

"Cool, huh?" she asked.

"Adorable." He remarked sassily, and then huffed when she smacked the back of his head.

"You could at least pretend to like it. It wasn't easy finding a good hideout. I had to meet with some… undesirable people."

He pouted at her. "Did poor little Rosie-girl have to talk to creepers just to find me a suitable place?"

"You would not _believe_ what kind of people I've had to deal with! One of them tried to cop a feel in the middle of the negotiation."

"Oh _did_ he?" Jack asked sharply.

"So I broke his nose." She finished, causing him to burst out laughing.

"That's my girl." He ruffled her hair and she grabbed his coat, pulling him close.

"Oh yeah?" she murmured to him, their breath intermingling. "_Prove it_."

He chuckled. "Don't tempt me, darling. If I prove it, I may get distracted for several hours."

"Hours, huh?" she asked, nibbling on his ear. He let her continue for a few moments more.

"_Jackkkkk._" she whined when he pulled away.

"I've got some questions, and you've got some answers, so I suggest we just get it over with so we can do something a bit more… exciting."

"Fine," she acquiesced, plopping down on one of the bleachers while he followed suit. "I'm gonna tell you the whole story, from the night I was kidnapped by Crane- the second time- to now. Any unanswered questions, may be asked after, but don't interrupt."

He nodded at her and she started her tale.

"When he kidnapped me, I woke up tied to a chair in the warehouse. We bantered a bit before I remembered that there was a knife in my pocket, I'd put it in there earlier. I had started sawing the ropes when he sprayed me with something that I thought was fear gas, and then he injected this blue liquid into his arm. But the fear gas didn't affect me, he said it was because he wanted me "sober" for whatever I was gonna see.

"Then I saw… I saw you. Except it wasn't you, but I didn't realize that at first. He made me think that you were working with him to drive me insane by use of the fear gas, but then the illusion vanished and he explained it to me; microbes in the gas I inhaled and in the stuff he injected himself with, and he could control what I saw, it was a new concoction. And then he tried to spray me with fear gas, but Bruce-"

-she tried not to notice how he twitched when she said that name-

"-had inoculated me with the antidote already so I pretended that it was affecting me and when his back was turned- I attacked him. And I tried to kill him, but Bruce showed up and stopped me-"

"What a shame." She glared as he spoke.

"Hush! I'm talking." He shrugged and she continued her story. "He stopped me from killing Crane, and then you showed up. Crane had told me that the new gas lingers in the air for a few hours so while you were busy with Batman I injected myself. And then when I ran up to the walkway I knew one of you would end up killing the other and I needed to find a way to stop it.

"So you had all breathed in the gas and I made you see me get shot. And I did fall out the window, which nearly killed me, but someone found me, and I stayed with her until the search for my body was over. And then I had nowhere else to go so she let me stay, and she helped me get you out of the asylum. The guards didn't actually think I was a stripper, that was just a quick explanation to keep you from asking questons. She poisoned the guards.

"And that's where it gets a little more complicated, so I have to give you a bit of her backstory. Pamela, that's her name, used to be a botanist, and worked in a lab with this guy named Jason Woodrue, who was a total creep. And one day she saw him performing experiments to make this thing called Venom, which sorta mixed plant DNA with people DNA. I'm a bit fuzzy on that part but there was something with a League of Something needing it for some guy who had been in prison, I think his name was Bane.

"So Woodrue caught her viewing the experiment and she told him it was wrong and he tried to kill her so she wouldn't call the cops or whatever. But apparently he sucks at murder because he just knocked over some chemicals on her, which gave her plant powers and-"

"_Plant_ powers?" he interjected, causing Sofia to roll her eyes.

"By this point, telling you to stop interrupting is useless. Yes, plant powers. She's immune to all poisons, she can control plants, and she can secrete toxins."

"Sounds _gross_."

"I swear you are a three year old."

"Four, actually." He mock corrected her with a goofy grin that she hadn't seen since high school. She couldn't help but smile back.

"She can kill people with kisses, her lips are poisonous. And she can release pheromones to control people and probably do a lot more. She didn't give me the whole spiel. Anyway, I needed to lay low for a while, so Bruce would think I was dead."

"And me." He said quietly, staring down at her. She reached out and placed her hand on his cheek, rubbing her thumb back and forth.

"I'm sorry, Jack." She apologized again, standing and wrapping her arms around his neck. They stayed like that for a while.

"Why didn't you tell me, Rosie-girl?"

"I needed you to believe it so he wouldn't get suspicious."

"Why would it matter if Brucey-boy knew you were alive?"

"Because of what I'm about to do. He'd never forgive me."

"Oh? And what are you about to do, Rosie-girl?" he asked, with an eyebrow raised.

She inhaled deeply, and turned him around to face her.

"I'm gonna be your partner in crime."


End file.
